Albert d



(No Model.)

A. D.. LEWIS.

RAILWAY CROSSING. No. 364,267. Pgtented June 7, 188'7.`

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT D. LE\VIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO JOHN S. OEHMEN, OF SAME PLACE.

RAILWAY-CROSSING.

` SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 364,267, dated June 7, 1887.

Application filed January 14, 1887. Serial No. 224,329.

To @ZZ whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, ALBERT D. LEWIS, of Chicago, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway- Grossings, of whichthe following is a specification.

Railway-crossings as ordinarily constructed consist of a casting placed at the rectangular intersection of two railways, the rails of each track being'partly out away to allow passage to the flanges ofthe crossing wheels. This construction necessitates the leaving of an interval between the adjoining ends of the rails so eut ordinarily of one and one-half inch. The fault of this construction is that'there is a jolt or jar to the car as each wheel passes over this space, resulting in great damage to the crossings and rollingstoek and great dis comfort, and sometimes more serious effects, on the passengers or goods in the car. Another fault is that the cars are apt toleave the track on crossings of the ordinary construetion, and this is quite likely to occur with freight-cars and locomotives where, owing to breaking of the equalizcrs or faulty loading, the weight is thrown upon one side and the wheels have a tendency to leave the track when they reach the intervals of the crossing.

My invention has for its object to provide a continuous wheel-bearing for railway-crossings, whereby the objectionable features of the ordinary consti-notion are overcome.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated my crossing at the intersection of a street-railway with a steam-railway.

Figure 1 is aplan or top view ot the crossing, parts of the tracks, and portions of the mechanism for operating the crossing, the crossing-rails arranged for the passage of a train on the steam-railway. Fig. 2 is a erosssection on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, the streetrailway being in condition'for passage. Fig. 3 is a plan view ofthe parts shown below the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

In the crossing herein illustrated the rails A A of thesteam railway are placed entire at the crossing, no part being cut away. The rails B B of the street-railway are cut at or near the outer edge of the rails A A, forming `5o an independent section, C, between the cuts,

the ends of which section extend over the rails (No model.)

A A, and may have a bearing thereon, and abut against the ends ofthe rails B B, to form with them a continuons rail. I prefer to cut away the crown of the ends of the rails B B and the base of the ends of the section C, the crown of sect-ion O extending'over rail A and lapping onto rail B, as shown, whereby a bearing is formed for the ends of the sections C. These sections C are pivoted in suchmanner 6o that they may be swung clear of the rails A A to permit the passage of cars thereon, and when in 'their normal position they form,'in connection with the rails B, acontinuous track.

I prefer to pivot the sections C at or near the middle of theirlength. AS shown, they have a portion of their under sides or bases cut away, as at c, to receive a plate, D. This plate is secured to or forms a part of a vertical shaft, E, which forms the pivot of the sections C. 7o The lower end of this shaft E is seated in a suitable bearing, F, and is provided with a iiange, e, to give it sufficient breadth of bearing. Au arm, G, is rigidly connected to or forms a part of this shaft E, and extends out 7 5 at a right angle thereto'. To the outer end of this arm G is applied a connecting-rod, H, which connects all of the sections, and is operated from a switch-stand in the ordinary way, whereby the sections may be thrown si- 8o multaneously. It desired, the connecting` rods of two parallel tracks-as, for example, the double tracks of street and steam railways in cities-may be connected by a link, as I in the drawings, and operated by a common lever, as J, Fig. 1. I prefer to place the ties or timbers K K for the rails A A lengthwise under said rails, as shown.

To provide a flat surface upon which the sections C may rest when in use and over go which they may swing freely when not in use,

I place metal plates L, of convenient shape, under said sections and between the rails A A, and secure them removably to the timbers K K, vso that they may be taken up to permit access to the operating parts below.

It will be understood that the sections C are secured, either directly or indirectly, to the shaft E; and I have shown a spiral spring, M, surrounding said shaft and seated on its flange roo c, the upper end of spring M resting against a loose washer, m, placed on shaft E below the plate L, the purpose of said spring being to hold the sections C down upon the plates L, and thus prevent displacement of the sections C and the accumulation of dirt, Sac., under them.

I prefer to place bushings N around all the bearings, as illustrated in connection with the arm and connecting-rod in Fig. 4, whereby wear of thejournals is prevented and lost motion avoided.

The construction above particularly described is simple and efiicient in operation; but the details may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention. Of course this crossing is applicable to two steam or street railways, the only requirement being that one track shall be higher than the other at the point of intersection, so as to permit the free sections of one track to swing over the other, whereby the rails of the lower track may be left entire and the rails of the upper track made continuous by the use of swinging sections.

1. In a railway-crossing having the rails of one track entire, or without crossing intervals, centrally-pivoted sections adapted to extend over said entire rails and to form with the main 'rails of a transverse track continuous rail surface, said sections having their bases cut away toward their ends and said main rails having their crowns cut away, whereby to provide a bearing for the ends of said pivoted sections, substantially as described.

2. In a railway-crossing, the combination of 35 with pivoted sections adapted to form part of 45 .one track, of rotatable shafts to which said sections are secu red,and a spiral spring adapted to hold said sections down in place, substantially as described.

ALBERT D. LEVIS.

`Witnessesa H. S. HoLMEs, C. C. LINTHICUM. 

